Photo: rulefiggur/Creative Commons
Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura.
Today's installment of our exciting new series, I Didn't Know You Could Surf That, features a Nicaraguan volcano.
Cerro Negro is South America's youngest volcano, having popped up in 1850. It is also the first volcano to offer ash boarding.
Ash boarding, also known as volcano surfing or volcano boarding,
involves strapping a wooden plank to your feet and coasting down the
1,600-foot ash-and-pebble slope of Cerro Negro. Boarders, wearing
gloves, goggles, and jumpsuits, reach speeds of up to 50 miles an hour,
kicking up clouds of dust on the way down. Those of a more timid
disposition can opt to sit on the board or simply run down the steep
slope.
The ascent is less thrilling — it's an hour-long hike — but the
summit brings its own rewards. A stunning 360 degree panoramic view
reveals the chain of active and dormant volcanoes, lined up one after
the other, surrounded by blue skies and lush green foliage. Cerro Negro itself is an active volcano whose crater often emits smoke. It has erupted 23 times, most recently in 1999.
Visit Atlas Obscura for more on Cerro Negro.
Photo: Beth and Anth/Creative Commons
Photo: Roman Königshofer/Creative Commons
Photo: Chiara/Creative Commons
Other volcanic vacation spots:
- Three wildly colorful calderas top this otherworldly volcano chain
- Mount Nyiragongo is home to the world's largest lava lake
- Azerbaijan features a messy, bubbling, and sometime explosive landscape
Ella Morton is a writer working on The Atlas Obscura, a book about global wonders, curiosities, and esoterica adapted from Atlas Obscura. Follow her on Twitter
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